Feeding help/ideas please

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chancing

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Hello, longish post!

I am looking for some help and advice on what to feed my boy. Hes 6 yr old ISH in medium work (schooling 3 times week, hacking, will be doing a bit of hunting from next week, lessons)

Currently turned out at night and in during day, soon will switch to in at night and then probably november time will be in 99% of the time unless weather really good. Had problems recently with feeding, tried a couple of options but either got no response or spikes of really stupid behaviour predominately hacking or in exciting situations.

Was feeding;

1 stubbs scoop of h&p nuts
3/4 scoop of crushed oats
handful linseed
vits/mins
joint supplement
30ml procell

(added the oats on advice on instructor as not getting much response or energy from same diet without oats) have since removed oats as as above got silly behaviour)

Looking at feeding (through winter also)

spillers slow release energy cubes
alfa a oil
vits/mins
30ml procell
speedi beet
joint supplement
- my only concern with the above is the feeding rate of the slow release cubes as a bag will only last 4/5 days at the recommended rate

Looking for ideas/suggestions/comments - please be constructive and also he has access to fresh water and haylage
Thank you
 
Hiya, mine schools couple times a week and hacks and hopefully hunting more soon (only managed one early morning haha) is on one cup top spec lite am and again pm, will have AdLib haylage in winter. Out autumn trailing few weeks ago and was asked if feeding him oats!!! If he is a good weight I wouldn't waste money with feeds unless starts to drop weight with the hunting. Lack of oomph schooling may be boredom or lack of fitness or if overweight. Dex hunted and looked just right on same although never did much post Xmas hunting wise.
 
Hi Meesha hope your well?! Ok that's interesting thank you. Reason for feeding so much was he didn't have a lot of condition and was lacking energy for general activities hence the addition of energy type feeds.

Equi- thanks for your reply that is actually the recommended amounts from a nutritionist and second checked by my vet/instructor. And for a 16.1hh that isn't a huge amount.
 
Personally I would cut out the joint supplement (your horse is 6yo, I can't see the point of feeding it) and the Procell, which I think is only supposed to be fed for short periods anyway. I would continue with micronised linseed (not linseed oil) which has lots of benefits. I wouldn't feed Alfa A - I have always found that it makes my horses a bit crazy and TBH a horse in light/ medium work shouldn't really need it.

I'd try speedibeet, a basic chaff plus a decent amount of micronised linseed (a mug or two per day). That way you don't need the Alfa A oil and all of the additional sugars added to that chaff. If you want something more than basic chaff, what about Just Grass or something like that? I do think some chaffs have a tendency to be heating because they're often full of sugars and other additives to make them palatable. I don't honestly really think you need to feed a vit/min supplement if the horse is getting adlib haylage and hard feed, but that's up to you. Which supplement do you use?
 
Recommended amounts are only a guideline and the feed companies tend to err on the generous side, so you should really base your amounts on the condition and energy levels of the horse in front of you. However, if you do find you need the recommended amount of slow release cubes then you won't need a vit/min supplement as the feed is fully supplemented. If you are feeding less than the recommended amount then you can give the vit/min supplement at a reduced dosage. So if you feed half the recommended amount of cubes, then feed half the recommended amount of supplement.

Slow Release Cubes do sound a good option, they have lower starch levels than many standard horse & pony cubes, but more calories. However, do bear in mind that ridden energy levels are not down to feed alone, so if changing the feed doesn't work you may have to look at the other factors that may be involved.
 
Looks an awful lot of feed for one horse that's stabled.

Shouldn't need the vit and mins if feeding full rate of cubes. You shouldn't really need the Alfa a or sugar beet either really
 
Hi wench he isn't stabled currently he is out during the night and in from about 11ish after being worked to about 3/4pm.

Tgm thanks so much for your comments really useful, thank you. Fed Alfa a oil last winter which I found worked well but only a scoop per day.

Chesnut cob thanks also for your advice was recommended to feed a joint supplement so that he would protect his joints now as a youngster? Will look at cutting out as havnt seen a lot of difference to be honest. It's difficult as a still relatively inexperienced person - 4 years or so. Everyone is keen to tell you what they think but just wanted some definitive answers. Thanks again
 
I've had a complete change of mind regarding feeding and only give hard feed to my very elderly TB as he needs a bit of help to keep his weight but the 7/8th TB is on a forage only (grass and haylage) diet, summer and winter and at the moment he gets a haylage balancer, blue chip dynamic and some chaff to mix. He schools (quite hard) 3 times a week and hacks 2/3 times mainly in walk. I consider him to be in light work. If he needed some extra weight I'd add some oil. In the past I've fed hard feed then found myself restricting the haylage, which is ridiculous. In the summer I have to be careful not to let him have too much grass but I do that by strip grazing. I've come to the conclusion that they really only need hard feed if they don't have enough time to graze or have access to a haynet or they are working really really hard. Mr B was a bit underweight when I got him but he soon put weight on and is really settled and has lots of energy. Best of all (apart from being very cheap to keep)when in the field he has his head down eating rather than hooning around!
 
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